


The Fine Art of Letting Things Happen

by JelloBrain



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attempt at Humor, Domestic Fluff, Dreams, Flowers, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Friends With Benefits, M/M, OT7, Symbolism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2021-02-24 19:13:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 21,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22003036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JelloBrain/pseuds/JelloBrain
Summary: Blurred lines, soft edges and ambiguity.The play of light in a dark room.The gentlest of touches with a playful twist.For Jooheon art was always made on music sheets, not canvas, but if he were to paint what the three of them have, it would be an impressionist painting.akaTwo horndogs and a very confused bee wandering through a garden.
Relationships: Im Changkyun | I.M/Lee Jooheon, Im Changkyun | I.M/Lee Minhyuk, Lee Jooheon/Lee Minhyuk
Comments: 4
Kudos: 48





	The Fine Art of Letting Things Happen

**Author's Note:**

> Let me just say:  
> Joohyuk is canon.  
> Changhyuk are the ultimate clingy roommates.  
> Jookyun are the softest rap line in history.
> 
> Combine it and bam! You have this all-over-the-place story.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
> 
> Monbebe out.

The soft ping of the camera indicates the start of their vlive. The seven boys are sitting on the floor of their practice studio, just having finished their dance routine. Their breaths are still a bit laboured and their skin is glistening with sweat.

"Welcome to our impromptu vlive! Sorry for the way we look, but we just couldn't wait any longer to see you! "croons Hoseok, his beaming smile appearing on hundreds of screens at the same time.

Hyungwon is sitting in the back, looking a bit spaced out. Kihyun and Shownu are sitting next to each other and it's apparent that both of them are tired, but still trying to stay animated and interact with the fans. 

Jooheon, on the other hand, is only half-listening. The other half of his attention span is focused on the warmth of Minhyuk, who is clinging to him like an oversized koala bear, and the cool touch of Changkyun's soft hand placed on his knee. 

It's a pretty usual occurrence, but for some reason today Jooheon is especially hungry for affection. Maybe it's because he's tired, but he finds himself melting in Minhyuk's hold like soft butter sinks into a warm toast.

Ah, it seems affection isn't the only thing he's hungry for. He makes a mental note to get some takeout for a late dinner when they'll be going back to the dorms. Kihyun seemed a bit down lately, so they should go for some chicken. Nothing brightens up that guy quite as much as chicken and the smell of fresh laundry.

"As you probably already know, we're starting a new project soon. The seven of us will split into groups and prepare their own song for the upcoming album."

"The groups haven't been decided yet, in case you were wondering, but we should settle that pretty soon" chimes in Kihyun with his matter-of-fact voice. 

"We really hope you're going to like it! You're probably just as excited as we are" adds Minhyuk with a cheerful lilt in his voice.

Hyungwon often jokingly asks Minhyuk what his mother fed him when he was a child for him to be this hyperactive, but Minhyuk's enthusiasm has a tendency to be contagious, so by default all of them seem a bit more energised then moments before.

They finish the livestream quite quickly, wanting to shower and fall into their beds as soon as possible. 

The next day has a pretty light schedule, just a mini photoshoot and a quick interview to breeze through, but they still need to get some proper rest. Last time they neglected that half of them ended up falling asleep in their van and woke up in different stages of dishevelment. 

The true problem was Hyungwon, who downright rejected any attempts at waking him up and Kihyun had to actually slap him to at least get him to open his eyes. 

As Hyungwon's indignant whines rubbed Kihyun the wrong way, the annoyed elder droned that the last time he checked his contract said nothing about him being a personal babysitter.

This time, however, they don't repeat the same mistake and arrive at the studio at 10 am sharp, all of them as rested as the idol lifestyle allows them to be.

The theme of the photoshoot is casual cuteness, so their stylists dressed them in colorful hoodies, oversized sweaters and, in case of Wonho, a glittery, tight-fitting turtleneck that compliments the prominent curves of his muscles.

Changkyun doesn't seem very taken by that concept as he's looking at his baby blue overalls with a scrunched nose and the same seems to be the case for Hyunwoo, who awkwardly tugs at the ribbon attached to his blouse.

Kihyun and Hyungwon, on the other hand, seem to be in their element. Hyungwon's lanky figure seems a bit fuller with the addition of a colorful bomber jacket that matches his shiny shoes. 

At the same time Kihyun is basically swimming in an oversized cardigan with a starry print, but he doesn't seem to mind all that much. It looks comfortable enough to resemble a pleasant dip in a warm bath rather than drowning in a cold lake.

Minhyuk is wearing a fluffy, pastel sweater and a pair of skinny ripped jeans. Golden drop earrings loosely hanging from his ears are twinkling every time he tosses his head to sweep his unruly bangs away from his eyes. His makeup is so subtle one would almost think he is barefaced if it wasn't for a slight shimmer of his glossy lips.

Having appraised Minhyuk's appearance Jooheon comes to the conclusion that the elder looks too soft and huggable to be left alone. As a result not even a minute later he launches himself at the taller man and gives him a surprise hug from behind. 

Minhyuk only hums softly at the sudden embrace. When they finally part to move to the next segment of the photoshoot he quickly boops Jooheon's nose with the tip of his finger, sends him a playful smile and catches up to Kihyun and Hoseok, practically shoving himself between them and interrupts whatever discussion they happened to be having.

After the individual shots the seven of them gather for group photos, the light concept basically allowing them to fool around and have a genuinely pleasant time together. 

The last picture ends up being the best, where Shownu picks Kihyun up despite the short man's protests, Hyungwon and Changkyun are doing ridiculous matching poses, Jooheon and Minhyuk are being disgustingly adorable doing a heart with their hands and Hoseok is just there in the middle of this mayhem, his ears protruding in the baseball cap he's wearing as he beams his widest smile.

When they finally scatter to get back to their original clothes, Jooheon can't help but let out a sigh of relief. Everything seems to be going smoothly and if they get lucky they might even call it a day and come back to the dorms sooner than they predicted. 

As they leave the studio to get some lunch, all of them are pretty much satisfied with their work, the prospect of food only enhancing their moods. 

As he is about to enter the car Jooheon feels a hand sneaking into the back pocket of his jeans and giving his butt a generous squeeze. He doesn't even have to turn around to know exactly who the culprit is. 

"Hey, keep your hands to yourself" he huffs as he turns around to face a smirking Minhyuk.

"You looked so nice today that I just couldn't help myself."

"And you're the one to talk" mutters Jooheon under his breath.

"I'm really flattered but we need to get in or Kihyun is going to leave us on the parking lot. Again" he adds.

"Damn right I will! Now hurry up!" the man in question shouts while knocking at the car's window to get their attention.

Thanks to the positive head start the atmosphere is light as they sit down on the tall chairs and before long the interviewer begins his onslaught.

While it's not exactly unpleasant, there's no denying that repetitive questions that are mentioned during almost every interview are starting to become stale. 

There's the question about a future collaboration, an interrogation regarding their upcoming project that they cannot really go into detail about and a quick summary of their tour. Then comes the time for more personal questions, the ones that Jooheon actually looks forward to. 

"Name one quality you admire in the member to your left."

After some thinking Changkyun comes to the conclusion that Kihyun is very meticulous and diligent and is a great husband material. Kihyun seems pleased with the answer as he nods at the younger in lieu of thanks.

Kihyun calls Hoseok thoughtful and sensitive to other people's feelings, which earns him a quick, but enthusiastic hug from the elder. The way Kihyun's tiny frame disappears for a moment between Hoseok's thick, muscular arms coupled with a faint blush blooming on his cheeks right after is really a sight to behold.

Hoseok says he wishes he were as dependable and reasonable as Hyunwoo, to which the latter responds to with a small smile and an appreciative hum.

The leader seems to be a bit stumped, looking at Hyungwon with furrowed brows. At the end he says that Hyungwon is well-mannered and is good at setting priorities. When asked about an example, Hyunwoo simply says that he always manages to find some time to nap, as he consistently considers sleep to be of top priority.

The comment causes a wave of laugh to ripple in the room before Hyungwon manages to get over his embarrassment and describe Minhyuk as energetic and friendly.

When Minhyuk's turn finally comes, he sneaks a glance at Jooheon and wastes no time sharing his answer.

"It's pretty hard to choose just one thing. But I have to say that Jooheon is just too cute to handle sometimes."

As if on cue, Jooheon does a quick version of his aegyo, the act already a part of his muscle memory. 

"However, if I had to choose a physical feature, it would definitely be thighs. They're so supple and thick that he could smash rocks with these" he adds, patting Jooheon's leg for emphasis.

The interviewer blinks a few times and is a bit caught off-guard with the bluntness of Minhyuk's words, but Jooheon just lets out a good-natured laugh and the other members don't even bat an eyelid.

Minhyuk has always been pretty generous with his compliments when it came to the younger rapper and subtlety isn't exactly his strongest suit.

When it's finally Jooheon's turn, he turns on his swivel chair to face Changkyun and purses his plump lips.

"When it comes to I.M, I really admire his determination. Whatever he does, he makes sure he does it well. It's not surprising that people find it hard to believe he's the youngest- he has that amazing aura of maturity around him. Besides, if it weren't for him we'd always have to take an interpreter with us while we're abroad and that would just be inconvenient."

"What can I say, you'd all die without me" comments Changkyun with a snort, but the fondness that flickers through his eyes is his own silent expression of gratitude. 

The interview is already finished, but the friendly banter goes on for a while, the conversation kept alive like a bonfire that's beginning to gutter out while the night is still young.

However, the moment the cameras are turned off all of them lean back in their chairs, take a deep breath and get ready to leave.

Sometimes, at the end of a day, when the seven of them pile into their van to drive back to the dorms, the adrenaline is still rushing through their veins, making them burst with the last spurts of energy and fill the cramped space with loud chatter and laugh.

On the other hand, after an exceptionally long and tiring day they're usually too exhausted to move and they sprawl their tired bodies on the leather seats as they dream about the comfort of their beds.

However, that particular evening they all sat in comfortable silence, looking out of the car windows and soaking up the calm atmosphere. 

Lulled by the continuous sway of the moving vehicle, Jooheon let his head fall onto Changkyun's shoulder and his eyes slowly fluttered shut. The only thing reaching Jooheon's senses was the younger boy's warmth and the sound of Kihyun humming under his breath with that melodic voice of his. He cherished such small moments, so precious and scarce in the hectic life of an idol.

Right then everything seems perfect, especially that the next day is supposed to be their day off. Finally no alarms blaring at the crack of dawn, no fighting for precedence in the bathroom to hurriedly wash up and put on makeup, no quick pseudo-meals that would serve as a sorry excuse for a breakfast.

He allows himself to wallow in that knowledge for a while as he drifts off to sleep, but the moment of piece turns out to be pretty short-lived. Not even five minutes later he is awoken by the loud sound of coughing coming from the back of the van.

"Hyungwon, are you okay? Do you need some water?" asks Kihyun in concern as the coughing fit doesn't seem to be ending soon.

"It's alright, my throat is just a bit sore" he answers weakly when the manages to catch his breath.

Kihyun, who thankfully is sitting right next to Hyungwon, twists a bit in his seat so that he's facing him and brings his hand to his forehead.

"Shit, you're burning up. I think you have a fever."

"Hyungwon did seem very pale today" points out Shownu with furrowed brows.

The problem with Hyungwon is that he's not very energetic or talkative by nature, so it's hard to pinpoint whether he's just being his usual self or there's really something off about him.

"As soon as we're back we're getting you to bed. You really need to take care of yourself more" tuts Kihyun.

"It's not his fault that his body is so weak. Sometimes I feel like I could blow at him and he'd fly away like a leaf" notes Hoseok.

"Hey! Not everyone can be walking bag of muscles" the man in question huffs before breaking into another fit of coughs.

"I just hope it's nothing serious. The promotions are starting soon" whispers Minhyuk right into Jooheon's ear.

With every passing minute Hyungwon looks more and more like he's about to faint and his miserable state triggers Kihyun's worried mother mode. He immediately tells the others that he's going to take care of Hyungwon so that they don't have to spend their free evening worrying about it. 

As soon as they reach the dorms, the small man sends Hyungwon off to bed and sets off to the kitchen to rummage the cupboards and find the thermometer. 

When he finally digs it out from a round tin that used to hold cookies but now serves as a first aid kit (which reminds Kihyun that they really should use some of their precious free time to properly organize their things and bring some order to their apartment), he goes straight to Hyungwon's room.

Hyungwon is already burrowed under his covers, his skinny body shivering despite the presence of the heater right next to his bed.

Jooheon offers to bring him some water while Hyunwoo paces nervously around the room.

"How come we didn't notice anything sooner? He could have avoided sitting through that interview and go back earlier."

"There's no point in crying over spilt milk. Maybe we're just exaggerating and he just has a slight cold" reasons Kihyun as he puts the thermometer in Hyungwon's hand.

Looking at the sallow face of his younger friend Hyunwoo doesn't seem very convinced, but he simply sighs and continues to aimlessly walk around.

When Jooheon comes back with a bottle of water in hand he is welcomed with another onrush of dry cough tormenting the tall man. He sets the bottle on the edge of the nightstand so that it's within Hyungwon's reach before plopping down on his own bed. Not long after the others trickle into the room, not really knowing what to do with themselves in this situation.

There's no denying that the atmosphere in the room is tense and on top of that a bit awkward. After several minutes Kihyun retrieves the thermometer and reads it with a scowl.

"39°C. How do you feel now?"

"My head and throat hurt like hell, but other than that I'm fine" mutters Hyungwon against his pillow.

"Well, it's probably either a bad cold or a flu. I'll go grab some ibuprofen and tissues, since regardless of what it is you'll definitely need these. I think we should just wait it out until the morning and if it gets worse we should just call the manager."

"I'll keep an eye on him" assures Hyunwoo, gently patting the blanket cocoon Hyungwon nestled himself in.

"In case it's flu, we should minimise our contact with Hyungwon because the last thing we want is to get a household epidemic right before a comeback."

"How about we take Jooheon to our room for the time being? We can put our beds together so there'll be plenty space for him" suggested Minhyuk.

"Wouldn't it be a better idea for Jooheon to room with Hoseok? He has a single room" pointed out Hyunwoo.

"Let's not forget that he has a room on his own for a reason and Jooheon is a light sleeper" chimes in Changkyun, sending an apologetic look to the elder, knowing just how sensitive he is about the topic.

"Hey! I don't snore that badly!" objects Hoseok with a blush spreading over his face.

"You don't, but you get up really early to go to the gym, so maybe it's a better idea for me to stay with Changkyun and Minhyuk" is Jooheon's diplomatic response.

That seems to nip a possible argument in a bud as Hoseok only answers with a quiet "suit yourself". 

Truth be told, Kihyun seems relieved about this turn of events since he himself also owns a single room and it was pretty obvious that he isn't very keen on sharing his sacred space.

Soon they scatter to their respective rooms with the exception of Jooheon, who stays inside to pack his essentials and Kihyun, who goes to the kitchen to put on a kettle and make some green tea.

Jooheon grabs his pajamas and fresh underwear along with his phone and charger and stuffs it all into his old sports bag. Before leaving the room he waves at Shownu, mouthing a quiet 'thank you' for taking care of Hyungwon.

For some reason, Jooheon has always found Minhyuk and Changkyun's room to be a strangely comforting place to be in. It was quite spacious for a two-people room, yet due to Minhyuk's hoarding tendencies every possible surface was covered with various knick-knacks and items that most definitely should be found somewhere else, making the room a bit cluttered. However, the constant state of mild disarray would somehow add to the room's appeal, making it seem more cosy and organic.

At the same time, since Minhyuk and Changkyun usually don't bother with putting their belongings in order and in their rightful place, it's easy to deduce what both of them are up to lately just by taking a peek into their room.

Now, for example, as Jooheon pads through the threshold and starts looking for an appropriate place to put his things down, he spots a bottle of black nail polish on the small table in the corner. It's only halfway screwed, which means that Changkyun was most likely interrupted in the middle of his nail-painting routine and had to abandon his work halfway. 

As Jooheon settles on laying his bag on the carpet next to Minhyuk's nightstand, he notices a small book on top of the man's bed. It's opened roughly in half and carelessly placed on top of the bedspread with it's spine up. The title on the cover reveals that the novel is written in Japanese, which makes a lot of sense considering the fact that Minhyuk have been wanting to brush up on his Japanese vocabulary for quite a while.

Jooheon sits down on the bed and absently runs his fingers over the dainty, glossy font of the title and tries to remember when was the last time he had a book in his hand. He could never find time for that, usually opting for spending more time on writing lyrics or practising new choreography. He can't deny he kind of misses the times when he wasn't working round the clock and finding a calming moment to take a deep breath wasn't that much of a challenge.

It's Minhyuk cheerful voice that snaps him out of his reverie.

"So, what do you wanna do?"

"Um, maybe sleep like normal people would?" responds Changkyun, raising one of his defined brows.

"Come, on, that's no fun. The night's still young! How about we watch a movie?" proposes Minhyuk, picking up his book and putting it on the shelf to sit right next to Jooheon.

"Well,we don't have to wake up early tomorrow, so I guess it should be fine. Jooheon?" Changkyun asks, making sure if the older rapper is on board with Minhyuk's idea.

"Sounds good. Us three spending time together is a rarity so we should make the best of it" is his simple reply.

"Oooh, did you miss us this much, Honey?" coos Minhyuk, playfully pinching the younger's cheek. 

Jooheon retaliates by tackling Minhyuk, pinning him to the bed and making use of the fact that the elder is extremely ticklish.

"Stop, stop, I give up" he gasps out after a few seconds, his cheeks pink and hair completely dishevelled as he tries to contain his laughter. He uses all energy he has left to grab Jooheon's wrists and put an end to the merciless attack.

"I'll go easy on you this time, but that's only because I'm staying here today and I don't want any incidents to happen while I'm asleep" Jooheon stresses the last part of the sentence as the memory of the last New Year's Eve dorm party floods into his mind. 

Long story short, a very drunk Minhyuk thought it was a hilarious idea to draw questionable-looking objects on the other's face while they were asleep. Little did he know that the marker he was using turned out to be a permanent one. He had to personally apologize to their make-up artists the following day and bought all of them coffee during the break in filming. 

"Come on, that was one time. Don't you trust me?" asks Minhyuk with a theatrical gasp.

"I'd rather be safe than sorry."

"Jooheon has all rights to be sceptical. I can attest to that as your unfortunate roommate" chimes in Changkyun.

"Don't pretend you don't like living with me. No one else would be able to put up with your moods" retorts Minhyuk.

"Well, I'm pretty sure Kihyun would make a much better roommate. He keeps the bathroom squeaky clean and doesn't throw his clothes all around his living space."

"But it's not Kihyun's bed you crawl into to cuddle when you've had a nightmare" retorts Minhyuk with a deadpan.

"Oookay, how about we choose a movie?" quickly says Jooheon, not waiting for the small argument to aggravate any further.

His distraction tactic proves to be effective as they spend the next 10 minutes arguing about what they wanted to watch. 

Minhyuk insists on a rom-com or a comedy to 'lighten the mood', but it's immediately rebuffed with Changkyun's loud protests. 

Changkyun suggests a drama about societal changes in a country on a cusp of war, but Jooheon comes to the conclusion that he's too tired for comprehending a heavy plot like that.

Jooheon proposes a biographical film about the life and death of Michael Jackson, but Minhyuk immediately states that no fiction equals no fun.

They try to convince each other for a few more minutes before Jooheon decides they need some sort of compromise to break the impasse or else they are going to waste the whole night quarreling.

"How about we just choose a movie at random?"

"I guess that would work. But we need to be consequent- no take-backs" acquiesces Minhyuk.

Changkyun agrees with a quick nod and it's finally time for Minhyuk to turn on his laptop.

"Okay, pick a number" he says, leaning over the computer screen.

"Um, seven?"

A few loud clicks later Minhyuk leans back to show them the result.

Jooheon leans in and slightly squints while reading the movie description. He's not even halfway through when all color drains from his face as a realisation hits him.

"It's a horror."

"Judging from the ominous title and that creepy ghost looming on the poster i think it's pretty safe to assume that it's the case" teases Minhyuk.

However, he must have caught the look of utter despair in Jooheon's eyes because his eyes soften and he puts his large hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Don't worry, you big baby. If it's really bad then we can always turn it off. You can even hold my hand if you want to."

Jooheon sends Minhyuk an unamused glare.

"Can't we just choose something else? I mean, it's a ghost story and you know my attitude towards them" he whines.

"Yeah, it's just about the same as your attitude towards aliens, monsters, serial killers, zombies, insects…"

"Alright, i get it! But next time I'm choosing the movie" yields Jooheon, a small pout already forming on his lips.

"Alright, let's put the beds together first because later we'll be too lazy to do that" adds Changkyun.

"Okay, you two do it and I'll go grab some snacks for us" offers Minhyuk.

Jooheon and Changkyun pull the beds together in tandem and align them to the wall. They spend the next minute adjusting the covers and pillows and only when they finally deem their lair acceptable do they perch themselves on the opposite sides. 

"I think I'm gonna take a quick shower while we're waiting for Minhyuk" announces Changkyun after a moment of thought.

"How about you? Do you want in?"

"You mean showering together?"

"Saves time and water. We often do this with Minhyuk" explains Changkyun with a shrug.

"What about him then?"

"He's already showered as soon as we came back to the dorms."

"Well, I guess it's reasonable then. Man, I haven't showered with anyone since our rookie days. Brings back memories" muses Jooheon, already picking himself up from the bed.

"I hope the good ones, at least. To me that seems light years away, but maybe it's because I did everything I could to forget about it" quietly answers Changkyun.

There's an unusual vulnerability in Changkyun's voice and Jooheon senses that he might be falling into one of his pensive moods. The ones when he could curl up on a chair and stare out of the window without uttering a word. 

Everyone has their own ways of dealing with their emotions, but Jooheon has always felt uncomfortable seeing Changkyun in that state, knowing that the thoughts running through the younger's head are most definitely far from pleasant.

"I know our first meeting wasn't the prettiest and we had a rough start, especially you, but looking at us now I wouldn't have it any other way" says Jooheon, gingerly placing his hand on Changkyun's shoulder.

"Yeah, I guess there's no point in touching old wounds. And hyung?"

"Hmm?" hums Jooheon in a soft, placative voice.

"Thank you."

"What for?"

"Everything, I guess. For making me crawl out of my shell, for putting up with my moods, for helping me write lyrics… Honestly, the list could go on, but I think I've already stroked your ego enough for one day." Changkyun couples his praises with a playful punch to Jooheon's arm and a sheepish smile, a hint of pink tinting the tips of his ears.

But Jooheon doesn't even give him time to get properly embarrassed before he assaults the younger with a tight bear hug. 

"Kyun, you really are the sweetest. But now let's go for that shower because if I say anything else right now I'll get all mushy and I really don't think I'd handle watching a horror while being an emotional wreck."

"God, you're such a sap. But you're right - Minhyuk will be back soon and he'll throw a hissy fit if we keep him waiting for too long."

Two minutes later the two of them crowd into the small bathroom and Changkyun grabs a fresh towel for Jooheon to use. 

They begin to undress in relative silence, the only sound filling the tight space is the shuffle of fabric and soft puffs of breath. They're both turned in opposite direction to each other for an illusion of decency, but Jooheon still can't help but feel a bit awkward.

It's no secret that he's is pretty self-conscious about his body, especially since he's surrounded with people with bodybuilder-like physiques and an actual model with legs taking about 70% of his height. 

With the help of his friends' positive reactions (mostly Minhyuk straight up telling him that he loves his soft tummy and squishy cheeks so much that he would kill anyone who told him to lose weight), he learnt not to care about it to an extent. However, at moments like these all he can do is cross his arms over his chest and let out a small disappointed sigh.

As Jooheon turns around to enter the shower cabin, he can't stop his eyes from curiously drinking in the sight of Changkyun's lean bare body that stands in stark contrast to his own. 

Changkyun is by no means muscular, consistently keeping off any form of voluntary exercise and turning down all Hoseok's propositions to join him at the gym to bulk up. But he isn't skinny either- the subtle charm of his body shows in the sharp curves of his legs and chest, making him look slim, but defined at the same time. 

"I'll lend you some shampoo if you want. Are you okay with this one?"asks Changkyun, pointing at a small yellow bottle standing on the shelf.

"Isn't that your favourite? I thought it's pretty expensive."

"Yeah, but I have a lot of it. I always wait for discounts and buy a lot of it at one go."

"I guess I should give it a try, then. I've been using the same shampoo for months and I definitely could use some variety."

Jooheon follows Changkyun into the stall and  sneaks one more glance at the younger. His face is usually covered with tons of powder and make- up to meet the strict Korean beauty standards. A ridiculous canon which demands a naturally tan nation's skin to appear white and immaculate like imported porcelain. 

But right now, Changkyun's face is completely bare, a hint of notorious acne showing on his forehead and his eyes puffy from permanent exhaustion. His complexion is generally a bit darker than Jooheon's and the caramel expanse of his skin is almost shining in the bright bathroom light. 

And that look on Changkyun- the raw, natural state that shows all of his tiny imperfections- happens to be Jooheon's favourite.

Jooheon is pulled out of his thoughts by a warm sensation caused by the stream of water hitting his back. Changkyun has already lathered himself and went on to sluice the sweat off his body along with the foam. Jooheon quickly follows suit and when reaches out for the shampoo, Changkyun gives him a light tap on the shoulder and motions him to turn around.

"I'm already done so let me wash them for you real quick."

Jooheon isn't one to question Changkyun's ideas, so he complies and tilts his head back give the younger free access to his head. Changkyun slides his soapy hands into Jooheon's hair and rubs in the shampoo in circular motions. Jooheon can feel his muscles relax as Changkyun massages his scalp with the tips of his fingers. 

The shampoo has a sweet, but subtle honey aroma and Jooheon can tell why it's Changkyun's favourite.

"You really look good with your hair blonde" whispers Changkyun into his ear as he finishes rinsing his fair locks.

"You look good in every color, but black makes you look more mature" answers Jooheon.

"I'll take that as a compliment. Now let's dry ourselves up before Minhyuk starts banging at the door."

When they come out of the bathroom, Minhyuk is already back, nursing a bag of caramel popcorn.

"Come on you slowpokes, I got us some sodas, chocolate bars and a bag of fromage chips from Hoseok's stash. If he notices and asks about it I kindly suggest you to keep that information to yourselves."

The next few minutes is spent on getting the laptop ready and putting on their sleepwear. While Changkyun and Jooheon stay in their boxers and loose T-shirts, Minhyuk chooses to wear the most ridiculous pajamas he owns. 

It's a set that attacks the eyes of an innocent onlooker with its gaudy pink color and it's about two sizes too big for Minhyuk, so the lanky man is basically swimming in them. Minhyuk picked it up somewhere during summer sales and has been constantly using it since. He even wanted to wear it for the New Yang Nam Show but Kihyun threatened he would dunk his toothbrush into the toilet if he did so which was a pretty solid argument against doing that. 

Once the preparations are finished, the three of them huddle on the connected beds in front of Minhyuk's laptop. They're lying on their stomachs with Jooheon sandwiched right in the middle, but he doesn't really mind since he finds the soft press of their elbows to be almost comforting. 

When Minhyuk finally launches the movie, Changkyun grabs the snacks and puts them in in front of them so that they're within reach. 

Jooheon grabs the blanket that would definitely come in handy to hide his head under during the worst parts. The opening credits are already rolling when he grabs a handful of chips and stuffs them into his mouth. He isn't going to deal with that on an empty stomach.

Ten minutes later Jooheon is already beginning to see why this is a really bad idea.

"Minhyuk, remember when you said you could hold my hand during the movie?" he asks in a small voice.

"I was just teasing you."

"Actually, does the offer still stand?"

Minhyuk's eyes widen a bit and he lets out a small snort, but in lieu of an answer he simply shifts to prop himself on only one elbow and cradles Jooheon's clammy hand in his palm.

About an hour into the movie Jooheon asks himself how is this possible that watching a randomly chosen movie would turn out to be one of the most traumatising experiences in his life. And he survived No Mercy, after all. All he can do is blame his cursed luck for this outcome.

When the main protagonist opens the bedroom door just to find his wife hanging from the ceiling in a pretty disconcerting position, Jooheon decided it's time for his trusty blanket to have a comeback.

"Please stop, you'll suffocate like that."

If Jooheon thinks about it, that actually sounds pretty appealing at the moment.

"Just tell me when this scene ends" he croaks out from underneath the blanket.

"The worst part already passed" informs Minhyuk and pulls the blanket off his head in one swift motion. When Jooheon takes a look at his reddened hand he realises that he's been holding onto it like a lifeline for this whole time. 

"Sorry about that" he mutters ruefully.

"Don't worry about it. It hasn't fallen off yet so I'm good."

Just as Jooheon is about to respond the wife's corpse comes to life and flings herself onto her husband.

Jooheon's consequent shriek was probably enough to wake everyone in the house.

Changkyun pauses the movie and shares a long, telling look with Minhyuk over Jooheon's head.

"You know what, it's really late now. How about we just go to sleep?" he proposes with a small shrug.

"I think it's a good idea" immediately acquiesces Minhyuk and closes his laptop's lid, putting it into sleep mode. 

"Yeah, let's do that" weakly mutters Jooheon, who still hasn't fully recovered from the last jumpscare. 

He's fully aware the two of them suggested discontinuing the movie to save the shreds of his dignity and he is more than thankful for that.

As Minhyuk gathers the remnants of the snacks they didn't finish and Changkyun lumbers into the bathroom to wash his teeth, Jooheon fetches his pillow from his bag and throws it on the bed.

He looks down at his still slightly trembling hands and swallows a lump in his throat. Would it be weird to ask them to keep the lamp on for the night? It would definitely be. But what is he supposed to do when the mere thought of just lying there in complete darkness with nothing to protect him from evil spirits makes his skin crawl?

What Jooheon really needs at the moment is to be pampered with hugs and, ideally, for someone to stroke his hair until he's sound asleep. Which brings him to a question- should he suck it up and act like a reasonable adult he likes to believe he is or just go for it and ask to be cuddled?

I mean, he likes cuddles, Minhyuk likes cuddles and so does Changkyun, so wouldn't that be a win-win-win situation?

"I can hear you thinking" says Minhyuk with an amused expression.

"I-it's nothing important. Anyway, you you have a spare duvet or something like that?

"No, but I thought we'd just share our two? You look like you're about to cry so I thought that you wouldn't want someone sleeping close to you."

"No! I mean yes! I mean… that sounds good" sputters Jooheon. Is he really that easy to read?

"What are you talking about?" asks Changkyun as he re-enters the room.

"Bed arrangements. I say Jooheon goes in the middle."

"And why is that?"

"Because this way I can cuddle the hell out of him and you get to be the little spoon. Boom, everyone's happy."

"Why do I always have to be the little spoon?"

"Because you love it but you're too stubborn to admit that."

Changkyun only clicked his tongue without saying anything else, most likely because Minhyuk's remark was true.

When the three of them clamber onto the bed and Jooheon's head hits the pillow, he realises just how exhausted he is. Luckily it means that means that he'll be pretty much gone out like a light seconds after closing his eyes.

The muscles in his body are already starting to go lax when he feels his friends shifting on the bed and he uses his last bit of energy to blindly wrap his arm around what he assumes to be Changkyun's waist. That's when he feels a pair of long arms slinking around his sides until they meet on his chest and trap him in a tight, secure hug. Minhyuk buries his nose in Jooheon's freshly washed hair and nuzzles into it with a pleased hum.

"Mmm, smells nice" Jooheon hears the words whispered directly into his ear. The soft breath coming out of Minhyuk's mouth feels tingly on his skin.

"Thanks. Kyun gave me his shampoo" he mumbles softly, sleep already beginning to cloud his mind like a thick autumn fog.

"You're welcome. Now be quiet, I'm trying to sleep" mutters Changkyun and Jooheon feels more than happy to oblige. 

The last thing he hears before drifting off to dreamland is a soft "Goodnight", although his sleep-addled brain doesn't even discern which one of them utters the word.

***  
  


The round, iridescent moon is looming on the night sky as Jooheon roves across a meadow. He's barefoot so he can feel the softness of the grass and the moist, cushiony structure of moss with every step he takes. 

The greenery around him seems to extend endlessly in every direction, the field teeming with curious plants and flowers in all shapes and sizes. As Jooheon walks forward with no particular purpose in mind, his narrow eyes skim through the large expanse of the field, marvelling at its beauty. 

He should probably feel cold as he is only wearing a thin shirt and a pair loose, linen pants, but for some reason a gentle warmth is spreading throughout his body as if he had a tiny inbuilt furnace inside of his chest. 

Each time a particularly beautiful flower catches his eye, he reaches out for it, thinking how nice it would look in a bouquet, just to change his mind the last second and retract his hand before even touching its stem. He can't shake off the feeling that they're not meant for him to pick. Without dwelling on it any further he moves forth and lets his feet take them whenever they want. 

Jooheon breathes in the crisp air and revels in the tranquility surrounding him, but his restless hands itch for something to touch, to grab and claim as his own. He's subconsciously looking for something, although doesn't know yet what it might be.

He roves around for a while longer, not really sure how much time has passed, when he hears a faint whisper, quiet and soft like it's made of cotton. 

It's not the malicious kind one catches coiling behind his back that is the stirring of gossip and anonymous derision or the stern, solemn one one might hear in a church during a sermon.

Quite the contrary- it's the intimate whisper shared between friends or lovers, reserved for tiny secrets and sweet nothings. It's not one bit terrifying, if anything it makes Jooheon feel much less lonely on that empty horizonless meadow.

He makes his way through tall weeds as he blindly follows the comforting sound, much like a child captivated by Pied Piper's flute. It's getting more and more difficult to maneuver through the thick bushes and thorny brambles, but he sweet sound was getting clearer with every passing minute. Not long after, the thicket thins out and gives way to a small, hidden glade. Exhausted, Jooheon sits down on the grass, leans back until his back touched the ground and closes his eyes. 

The murmur is gone, a soft chipper of birds having taken its place. When Jooheon's breath finally slows down, he picks himself up and takes a better look at his surroundings.

Unlike at the meadow before, the small clearing is devoid of any plants except for two small flowers growing next to each other in its center.

The first one is a pink carnation that seems to sparkle in the moonlight and the other is a lily with dainty petals and a delicate stem. Despite being completely different, they're growing so close to each other that there's barely any distance between them. 

Jooheon's hand moves on his own accord, his fingertips skimming over their delicate petals. This time there's no hesitation in him as he plucks the flowers at the same time, not wanting to separate them for too long.

He brings them to his nose to inhale their scent and a blissful sigh escaping his mouth.

The carnation smells sweet like cotton candy and refreshing like spring rain. The fragrance makes Jooheon melt like sugar dipped in water, overwhelmed by its strength but finding himself wanting more.

The lily's aroma is much more subtle, but somehow fuller. It reminds Jooheon of a crisp, morning air mixed with a hint of vanilla and something even gentler. The petals are pleasant to touch, soft and smooth like silk. 

Jooheon sprawls on the grass, clutches the flowers to his chest and closes his eyes once more, letting the wonderful smells take over his senses until the world around him gets blurry round the edges and he drifts off into oblivion.

***

Jooheon wakes up to the soft sound of a heartbeat and to an elbow painfully pressing into his ribs. During his sleep his head abandoned the pillow underneath it in favour of something broader and firmer, namely Changkyun's chest, who at some point turned over to lay on his back and wrapped his arm around his sleeping companion.

Changkyun's hand balls into a fist and slowly unclenches as if the boy wanted to hold onto something invisible. Suddenly his lashes flutter and his brows furrow, making Jooheon think he's going to wake up and see the pretty compromising position they found themselves in. 

However, Changkyun just lets out a soft sigh, tightens his grip around Jooheon and immediately goes back to sleep. 

While Jooheon starts moving around in an attempt to extricate himself from Changkyun's hold, his cheek glides over the wet spot of drool directly in the center of the younger's shirt, which makes him cringe with disgust.

Next thing Jooheon notices is that the elbow jabbing at his side belongs to Minhyuk (it's way too bony, Minhyuk really needs to eat more). 

The way they're slotted together resembles a big, sloppy jigsaw and Jooheon's plan to make a quick run to the bathroom without waking anyone is becoming more hopeless with every passing moment. 

Pressured by his bladder, he carefully moves around until he's able to sit up and just as he was about to declare his mission a success, he feels a soft tug at the hem of his shirt as the sheets rustle behind him.

"Mmm, you already up?" mumbles Minhyuk, absently rubbing his still half-closed eyes. 

"I'm only going to take a leak. I'll be back in a minute."

"What time is it anyway?"

One glance at the clock makes Jooheon realise that they woke up just in time for dinner.

"It's really that late? I guess I should get up too, then. Want some coffee? I'll go downstairs and make some."

"That would be great."

Now that Jooheon takes a better look at Minhyuk, the other is sporting a pretty severe case of a bedhead, his soft locks sticking out in every possible direction. Jooheon can't help himself from tucking a loose strand falling onto his eyes behind his ear.

"I'd never have thought sleeping with the beds joined together can be this comfy. I guess we should just leave them like that for good" muses Minhyuk as he smooths the ruffled bedding with his palm.

"Wait until you talk this through with Changkyun before you get too used to that thought. He might not me so keen on that idea" points out Jooheon.

"Tch, do you really think I'll let him have a say in that? He'll probably refuse just to annoy me. And if he really has a problem with that then he can always sleep on the floor."

"Good luck with convincing him, then" Jooheon adds before getting up and plodding to the restroom. 

About five minutes later, when he's brushing his teeth to get rid of morning breath, Changkyun slinks into the bathroom, squinting at the sudden bright lighting. 

"Move a bit, I need to wash up too" he states gruffly while getting his own toothbrush and Jooheon obediently moves to the side with his mouth full of water. 

He takes no offence at the younger's behaviour since he knows well that Changkyun is usually quite moody before getting his first caffeine intake of the day.

Picking up where he finished, Jooheon tips his head back to gargle once more before spitting into the washbasin and reaching for the towel.

As he dries his face, he sneaks a glance at Changkyun, whose pale face is reflected in the wide bathroom mirror.

There is a small frown on his forehead as he analyses the state of his skin and his puffy eyes. He reaches for a small jar of face cream and scoops some of it with his fingers. As he dabs the thick substance on his cheeks, he catches Jooheon staring at him.

"Do you think I should shave?" Changkyun asks, running his fingers over his chin.

"Nah, I think you're good. Besides the best thing about free days is letting yourself look a bit scruffy. That only adds to the experience."

Changkyun only snorts at Jooheon's words, but doesn't go for his razor. After all Jooheon does have a point there.

"Wait, you still have a bit there" notices Jooheon pointing at the younger's left cheek.

Just as Changkyun is about to check that in the mirror Jooheon inches closer and wipes the excess with his finger. Jooheon's hand lingers on Changkyun's face as he thumbs a circle over his skin to rub in the cream.

Changkyun only presses his lips together until his small dimples pop up on his cheeks and looks at Jooheon with eyes half-closed.

"There you go. Now let's go get some breakfast. I'm starving!"

Jooheon left the bathroom with a spring in his step with Changkyun trailing right behind him.

"Shoot, I forgot to bring a fresh shirt. Can I borrow something?"

"I'd offer you some of mine, but it probably won't fit you. I guess we'll have to take one of Minhyuk's."

As soon as Changkyun pulls out a random hoodie from Minhyuk's closet shelf, Jooheon seizes up the piece of clothing with a thoughtful hum.

"That's not yours? I saw you wearing it like, a week ago" comments Jooheon, looking at the purple garment in Changkyun's hand.

"Actually, it's Minhyuk's. He lends me some of his clothes sometimes. Besides I had forgotten to do my laundry back then and Minhyuk basically forced me to wear it, saying that he'd rather live with a criminal than with a slob. I tried to reason with him that these things are not mutually exclusive and he he could have easily had to live with someone who's both, but he was inexorable."

"Well, it did look a few sizes too big but you do like your clothes baggy so I thought it was just a fashion thing."

After that Jooheon simply shrugs and pulls the sweater over his head with no further questions.

When the two of them make their way down the stairs they are welcomed with a very inviting smell of freshly baked pancakes.

Minhyuk bustles around the coffee machine with a cheerful tune on his lips, but as soon as he hears steps he turns around with a beaming smile.

"Took you long enough" he points out teasingly while sitting himself at the table.

The afternoon lights are pouring in through the window and shining right onto Minhyuk's cheek and Jooheon can't help but think that this weirdly domestic ambience with Minhyuk right in the middle makes quite a visual.

"Is that my hoodie?" Minhyuk suddenly asks with furrowed brows as Jooheon sits himself on the other side of the table.

Just as Jooheon is about to apologise for using his clothes without asking first, Minhyuk reaches out to tug on one of the purple sleeves to draw Jooheon closer. 

"It looks so cute on you. I guess you should borrow it more often" he adds with a quiet chuckle, pulling the hood on Jooheon's head and playfully tying its two strings under his chin.

Changkyun stares at them for a moment before shaking his head and reaching for his coffee and blowing at it to cool it down.

"How are you so chipper first thing in the morning Minhyuk? All fresh and bubbly like that - are you a freaking Disney princess?"

"If you expect me to talk to animals and do your laundry from now on than I have bad news for you. Besides, it's hardly morning" retorts Minhyuk, already stacking golden-brown pancakes onto his plate.

"Did you make these?" asks Changkyun, incredulously eyeing the appetizing-looking pile in front of him.

"Of course not. Kihyun made them earlier and left some for us. So don't worry, they're actually edible" snorts Minhyuk and proceeds to stuff the pancakes into his mouth.

This clarification was enough for Changkyun to quickly join them at the table.

"So you have any plans today? If not, we could grab something nice for dinner together" suggests Jooheon.

"Sounds good to me. I was supposed to go shopping with Kihyun, but he ditched me for Hyungwon" answers Minhyuk, clicking his tongue.

"Now that you say that, how is he?"

"Thankfully he just caught a mean cold, so he should be well in a few days. Kihyun told me he wants to stay with him to make sure this idiot takes proper care for himself. I think he feels bad about forcing him out of bed with a spray bottle yesterday. But I get that he's getting desperate when he has to do that every single day."

"What about Wonho and Hyunwoo?"

"Went to the gym at the ass crack of dawn. Probably won't be back until evening."

"Well, if that's the case, let's get some take-out for them as well."

As Jooheon starts counting out the approximate amount of money they're going to need, Changkyun just huffs and buries his head in the crook of his neck.

"I want pizza" he rasps against the soft cotton material of the hoodie. As the words come out muffled, Jooheon can feel Changkyun's voice rippling over his skin rather than hear it.

"I second that. Let's spoil ourselves tonight with extra cheese" adds Minhyuk, propping his head on his elbow. 

Jooheon lets his eyes linger on the sculpted features of the elder's face. 

Minhyuk's eyes have a strange habit of closing a little out of synch and most people find that quirk of his a bit unsettling at first only for it to grow on them soon after. 

But as charming as it is, it can be a dangerous feature for a notorious flirt like him, because sometimes it's hard to tell whether it's just his body trying to keep his eyes moisturised of if he's covertly making use of his rather questionable seduction skills. Most of the time it's both.

"Why are you so quiet today? Cat got your tongue?" Minhyuk suddenly asks Jooheon.

"He's probably still recovering from that movie" adds Changkyun before the last bite of his meal disappears in his mouth.

Minhyuk only hums as a playful smile tugs the corners of his lips upwards.

"Well, If he found it so interesting, we can always finish it today…"

"Alright, I'm done. Time to find new friends."

"Sorry to break it to you, but we're kind of stuck together unless Seventeen are recruiting so that their name actually corresponds with the number of their members" retorts Minhyuk, his smile morphing into a shit-eating grin.

"Don't go solo, join a kpop group, they said. It's gonna be more fun this way, they said" mumbles Jooheon under his breath before getting up from his chair to put his plate in the sink.

"Let's go, Changkyun. We don't need that loser on our pizza date."

Changkyun decides to humor Jooheon, so he comes up to the elder and wraps his arm around his bicep.

"And yet again you choose the cute one over the sexy one. How boring" Minhyuk sighs theatrically, making Jooheon roll his eyes.

"Wait, did you just call me cute?" Changkyun suddenly asks with a frown.

"What's so surprising about that? I'm just stating the facts. Water's wet, sky is blue, Changkyun's cute..."

"Okay, enough with the compliments, even though I totally agree with them, but we need to check on Kihyun and Hyungwon before we leave" interjects Jooheon.

"I'll do it" quickly states Changkyun and slips out of the room before anyone questions it or notices the slight redness of his cheeks.

Minhyuk's eyes trail behind him as he disappears behind the door before he turns to Jooheon with a satisfied grin.

"You actually managed to get Changkyun flustered. I'm impressed."

"What can I say. I just do that to people" answers Minhyuk with a shrug.

Jooheon only sighs before leaving the room to get his jacket. He doesn't argue with Minhyuk- he knows well that the elder actually does. Not that he's speaking from experience or anything.

Even though Hyungwon gets over his cold in a matter of a few days, claiming that Kihyun somehow managed to nag him back to health, most evenings Jooheon's feet still wander straight to Minhyuk and Changkyun's room for him to stay there for good. That is until Minhyuk's morning alarm starts blaring only to be blatantly ignored by his owner until Kihyun begins knocking at the door to wake them up.

Somehow Minhyuk actually managed to convince Changkyun to keep their beds joined together for good, claiming that it saves space or something equally implausible. For that reason Jooheon usually finds himself sandwiched between the two of them just like on the very first night he stayed over. 

Both Hyungwon and Hyunwoo were a bit surprised that Jooheon pretty much abandoned his perfectly functional and quite comfy bed to crash in the much smaller room meant to accommodate only two people. Once Hyunwoo approached Jooheon about the issue, downright asking whether he or Hyungwon had done something to make the younger feel uncomfortable around them.

Seeing the uneasy frown on Hyunwoo's face, Jooheon felt a bit guilty for ditching his current roommates without any explanation. He immediately assured his hyung that there was nothing wrong between any of them and offered to buy him dinner to make up for worrying their leader with something so trivial.

The thing is, Jooheon himself isn't really sure what is it about the new sleeping arrangement that gets him feeling giddy as soon as the seven of them trickle into their shared dorms at the end of a long, busy day. Maybe it had to do something with the fact that he missed the closeness that comes with sharing a bed with another person or the fact that Minhyuk would always shamelessly spoil him with cuddles even when he felt too tired to even start a proper conversation. 

At first Jooheon feared that he would bother his two friends by hogging their already limited shared space, but to his surprise both Changkyun and Minhyuk kept inviting him over and nothing in their behaviour hinted at the fact that they were doing it only out of politeness.

Soon after Jooheon's toothbrush was sticking out of a different cup along with two others and his clothes began migrating one by one from his old closet, finding their place tucked between Minhyuk's fluffy sweaters and Changkyun's jackets. 

Neither of them mentioned that transition and they only acknowledged the gradual change with some sort of a silent agreement.

After all, there's nothing to make a big deal out of- it's no secret that the three of them are close, so it's only natural that they want to spend more time with each other. 

At least that's what Jooheon tells himself when he's lying on the makeshift king-sized bed in the middle of the night, his legs trapped in a tangle of blankets and limbs as he listens to the soft breathy sounds coming out of his sleeping friends' mouth. 

But that never lasts long because nothing calms him more than Changkyun's rhythmic breathing and the weight of Minhyuk's large, warm hand resting on his chest and soon it has him drifting off as well.

With the prospect of comeback looming over their heads, the boys are working harder then they have in months. They are determined to polish their performances to perfection so that they will be able to truly shine on the stage under the glaring strobe lights. 

Days blur into repetitive loops of memorising, dancing, singing, eating and sleeping, sometimes skipping one of the last two steps in favour of the rest.

So that when two weeks later their manager tells them to get a day off so that they can fully charge themselves before the storm hits, Jooheon just collapses on the bed and is out cold so quickly that he's not even sure if he's fallen asleep or blacked out.

When he wakes up the following day, groaning as his sore muscles continue to sizzle under his skin, Minhyuk is already awake, lying on his side and looking at Jooheon from underneath his messy fringe.

"How are you feeling?"

"As if my body was possessed by a demon that's trying to get out by searing holes into my skin."

"This good, huh?"

Jooheon only huffs in response and turns on his side to face Minhyuk.

"How about you? Jooheon asks, burrowing his face into Minhyuk's broad chest.

"Well, I'm certainly better than you, since someone here actually didn't forget to properly stretch after the practice. Plus I've had a very nice dream."

"What was is about?" mutters Jooheon against the soft cotton fabric of Minhyuk's pajamas.

"I don't really remember much, but there was this huge field full of pretty, fragrant flowers and it was so nice that I just wanted to lie down on the grass and never get up again."

'Huh, that sounds kind of familiar' Jooheon thinks, but he loses his train of thought as soon as he feels Changkyun stir beside him.

"What time is it?" rasps out Changkyun, lazily rubbing his eyes with his hand.

"11 am. We should go get breakfast soon, and by soon I mean asap because I'm starving."

"Bossy" mutters Changkyun before slowly sitting up and stretching his limbs like a cat napping on a sunlit window sill.

Unfortunately the actual weather doesn't go along with that metaphor as the open curtains reveal heavy, dark clouds looming behind the window speckled with rain droplets.

Minhyuk only rolls his eyes before grabbing Jooheon's hand and pulling him out of the bed.

The last thing Jooheon hears before leaving the room is a low growl of "if you touch my cereals you're dead, Minhyuk" to which the latter only responds with a snort before dragging Jooheon towards the staircase. 

Jooheon should probably be annoyed with the way he's being manhandled by the taller male, but when the tight clutch on his palm loosens just a bit so that Minhyuk can casually lace their fingers together he can't really bring himself to care.

As soon as his eyes adjust to the bright light seeping into the kitchen through an open window, he spots a slight figure hunched over the sink. The person unsurprisingly turns to be Kihyun, who's grappling with a pile of dirty dishes like a man on a mission.

"I see you finally decided to show up" he grumbles without lifting his eyes from the plate he's fervently scouring with a rough sponge.

"You could at least pretend to be more happy to see us" retorts Minhyuk and clicks his tongue.

"Want some help?" asks Jooheon, but Kihyun only shakes his head in response.

"I'm almost done here. Besides I'm used to it since usually no one else really cares enough to do it" he huffs, but still sends Jooheon a small smile to assure him he doesn't really mind it. 

"Do we have some bread left? I'd really go for a toast with some jam" muses Jooheon as he shuffles towards the counter.

"I think Shownu ate the last two slices, but if you want you can take some of the jjigae I made from the fridge."

"Kihyun, you're my favourite person in the world right now. Is there some rice as well?"

Kihyun snorts at the impulsive confession and silently points at a plastic box lying on the kitchen island.

When Jooheon sits at the table with a plateful of food, Minhyuk just plops down in a nearby chair and slings an arm around his shoulder.

"I feel betrayed, you know" he mutters in Jooheon's general direction as the younger bites on a cube of marinated tofu.

"Huh?" Jooheon hums questioningly, not being able to articulate a proper sentence with his mouth full.

"I thought I was your favourite person and yet a bowl of leftover food is enough to buy your love" he says with a pout forming on his lips.

Instead of arguing, Jooheon stoically scoops a spoonful of the stew and brings it to Minhyuk's mouth.

"Hey, don't try to distract me from- oh."

Minhyuk's eyes widen a bit as he chews on the aromatic dish Jooheon fed him with.

"Holy shit, it's so good. Forget everything I said" he says as soon as he swallows his mouthful and turns around in his chair.

"Kihyun, If you make that for me everyday I'll marry you."

"A truly tempting proposition" snorts the short man without even sparing Minhyuk a glance.

"Why are you in such a hurry anyway? You're scrubbing these plates like they personally offended you" points out Minhyuk as he looks at Kihyun's hands disappearing under the sudsy water filling their sink to the brim.

"I need to get this over with because I promised my mom I'd visit her in time for supper. During the comebacks we're always busy with all the performances, interviews and fansigns so I thought this is the last chance to see her before all hell breaks loose."

"But it's still quite early, though."

"Well, the flower shop closes in 2 hours and I wanted to buy her roses."

Minhyuk mulls his words over and his face lights up the way it usually does when he gets an idea.

"How about we go with Kihyun?"

"Why? Is there some anniversary I don't know about?" asks Jooheon, his ears filtering out Kihyun's frustrated "Hey! Who said I want to take you with me?".

Minhyuk only shakes his head and looks at Jooheon with a small smile.

"I just thought how nice it would be to get some flowers for that stark, boring windowsill in our room."

A wave of pleasant warmth spreads in Jooheon's stomach on that one, tiny word 'our'.

"No offence, but the only plant you took care of is that one cactus you got from your fan. Until you killed it, that is."

"'Hey! That was just an unlucky incident!"' protests Minhyuk with a scowl.

"It broke in half."

"It's not my fault it was so fragile! I thought that cacti are supposed to be sturdy, how else would they survive on the desert?"

"Well, at least on the desert there's no one to accidentally knock them over so that they end up on the ground."

As Minhyuk and Kihyun continue to bicker, Jooheon decides that now is a good time to intervene, knowing that these two are fully capable of going on at it for hours. 

"Minhyuk might not have the greenest thumb out there but it's worth giving it a try. Also, would you look at the time" he says, pointedly looking at the clock hung on the wall.

Kihyun's eyes widen at the realisation and he quickly excuses himself from the kitchen, muttering something about having to iron his shirt.

Not even five minutes after his departure Changkyun finally makes his grand entrance in his fluffy flippers and a random T shirt thrown over his previously naked torso. His sleep shorts are hanging dangerously low on his slim waist.

"What's all the clamour about?" he rasps as he makes a beeline towards the coffeemaker.

"Nothing much, just another day of listening to Kihyun and Minhyuk squibble like children."

Minhyuk punches Jooheon's arm at the remark, but with no real force behind it. 

"We were just discussing our plan that I called "Operation: beautification" states Minhyuk with a goofy smile.

"Basically he wants to buy potted flowers for the windowsill because he thinks it's not enough aesthetically pleasing" explains Jooheon as he sees the way Changkyun raises his eyebrows in confusion.

He half-expects Changkyun to either ridicule the idea or show a lack of any interest in that matter, but to his surprise the younger nods approvingly before pouring himself a cup of his favourite bitter liquid.

"I guess that's one way to spend a free day. Besides, that windowsill really is ugly."

"I'm glad we all agree on that, although I'd have never pegged you as the type to notice that sort of things" muses Minhyuk with his eyes trained at Changkyun.

"Hey, just because unlike you I can't tell cobalt from azure or whatever doesn't mean I'm blind" huffs Changkyun and plops down on one of the table chairs.

"And just to be clear, don't even think about roping me into taking care of them for you. If they die I don't want to have their blood on my hands. Or sap, for that matter."

After finishing his discourse, Changkyun takes a long sip of his coffee and sighs with contentment as caffeine makes its way into his system.

"Now that it's settled, do you know if there is some bread left? I need to make myself a sandwich."

"Well, no luck, we're all out."

"Well that's just great. Are there any edible leftovers then?"

Jooheon and Minhyuk exchange quick glances before their eyes dart towards the empty, sauce-stained plates before them. Even the extra rice box has been scraped clean.

"I've got some bad news for you."

An old-fashioned visitor bell jingles as soon as they open the shop's door and enter the building. The place is a bit smaller than it seemed from the outside but it's cleverly arranged into a maze of tall, wooden racks to maximise the use of space. 

Each section contains different kinds of plants, all of them set out on the long shelves and meticulously tagged according to their properties. 

With different objectives in mind, they part soon after putting their wet umbrellas on the stand near the entrance. 

Unsurprisingly, Kihyun goes straight towards the corner with freshly cut flowers to pick out the prettiest ones for the bouquet while the other three are wandering around, stopping from time to time as their eyes linger on a particular item.

At some point Changkyun and Minhyuk start to argue over their choices and all Jooheon can think is that if it goes on Kihyun will just leave them here and the weather is not quite public transportation-friendly. 

"I've got an idea- how about we split up and each one of us picks something they like?" he offers in an assuasive tone.

Much to Jooheon's relief, Minhyuk nods amicably while Changkyun just shrugs without any objections before they part to explore on their own.

For the next few minutes Jooheon aimlessly walks around the place, overwhelmed by the vast options the shop has to offer. Growing more and more tired, just as he's about to grab a random plant and call it a day, a particular flower catches his eyes.

It's very simple with its white, tongue-shaped petals and slender leaves but for some reason he's immediately drawn to its daintiness.

He feels an urge to run his fingers across its thin stem, but he stops himself before he gets scolded by a shop assistant and settles for taking it to the cash register instead.

His three friends are already waiting for him, Kihyun making a point of impatiently tapping his foot against the floor.

Leaving in a hurry, Jooheon didn't have time to acknowledge Minhyuk's and Changkyun's purchases. Only when they all pile into the car does he take a proper look at their plants.

First he inspects the contents of the flowerpot clutched between Changkyun's hands. Jooheon is by no means a flower specialist, so the best description he can offer is that it's pink and has frilly petals, but he remembers his mother growing something really similar back in his childhood home.

"I'm still not over the fact that you picked a pink flower. Lately you're full of surprises" comments Minhyuk, but it's visible that he is impressed with Changkyun's choice.

"Just because I like dark colors doesn't mean that I'm incapable of appreciating anything different" retorts Changkyun, raising one of his brows.

"Well it is quite pretty so I fully support that. What is it called though?"

"Carnation" Changkyun answers after double-checking the tag.

"What about yours, Min? I don't think I've ever seen a plant like that before" chimes in Jooheon, craning his head to take a better look.

It's quite bushy with small, but broad leaves and a sturdy, vine-like stem. What really stands out though are the round clusters of slender yellow flowers with tongue-shaped petals curled to the back.

"Quite a catch, huh? Looks kinda exotic and it's really bright so I thought it would nicely balance out Changkyun's potentially boring one but it seems I had no reason to worry" he adds with a small chuckle.

"Besides, the shopkeeper said that it grows fast and it's easy to maintain. But that's not even the best thing. it's actually called honeysuckle! A perfect flower for our honeybee" he explains with a toothy smile.

Jooheon could feel Minhyuk's insistent gaze on the blooming blush on face as he's waiting for a reaction. 

He knows Minhyuk expects him to turn into a sputtering mess as it often happens whenever the elder does something equally mushy but he isn't going to give him that satisfaction. 

"Anyways, what about your flower?" Minhyuk finally asks after a moment of silence.

Jooheon looks at the small plant perched on his lap and purses his lips. 

"It's just a common white lily. It's not much compared to yours, but I just thought it looks very nice while its smell is subtle and I know neither you can handle strong scents... "

"I like it a lot" cuts in Changkyun with a reassuring smile, putting an end to Jooheon's insecure babble.

"Yeah, it's pretty so don't worry about it so much. Besides, it's not like we're choosing flowers for our wedding or anything" adds Minhyuk with a small shrug.

That offhand comment has Jooheon looking at him funny, but in the end he just nods and leans back to sink further into the soft, padded seat of the car.

"Besides all that matters is that we spent time together" sagely states Minhyuk as he rests his head on Jooheon's shoulder.

"But you do realise you've wasted your day off on buying flowers that will probably end up dead before we even start our tour?" Kihyun can't help but point out as he inspects his own bouquet to make sure it's presentable enough.

"Way to ruin a moment, Kihyun. We should have bought you some melissa for that temper of yours."

Kihyun seems ready to pounce on Minhyuk, so Jooheon makes sure to put a placative hand on his shoulder.

"Don't give him the satisfaction. He's only waiting for it."

"Hey! It wasn't me who started it!" protests Minhyuk with a pout.

"Honestly, the person who really needs that melissa now is our driver" comments Changkyun with a sigh.

Well, Jooheon definitely has to agree with that. Losing one's sanity was basically the main occupational risk while working with them. Jooheon glances one more time at Kihyun and Minhyuk staring daggers and each other before leaning back onto the seat. 

That's going to be a long ride.

Contrary to Kihyun's predictions, the plants do not die after the first week. Actually, much to everyone's surprise, Minhyuk takes the whole affair much more seriously than anyone has expected. 

Even with the comeback in full swing he always remembers to open the blinds to make sure the flowers get enough sunshine and to water them when it's his his turn to do so. 

Thankfully, in the end all of their previous hard work pays off as they stand huddled together on stage with their hands clammy and their eyes glued to the floor, waiting for the MC at a music show to announce the winner. At last, the tension-heavy silence broken with a single shout of "Monsta x" resonating in the air.

The next few minutes are a blur for Jooheon- colorful confetti bursting before his eyes, loud cheers from the audience, Hyunwoo's wobbly voice as he thanks their fans for their support. Before he realises he's being pulled backstage where the seven of them quickly change their clothes with the adrenaline still boiling in their veins before they pile into their van in a near-drunken haze.

When they slowly get down from the high listening to the patter of rain hitting the car's windows, Changkyun sneaks a hand onto Jooheon's lap and gives his knee a squeeze. When Jooheon turns to face him, he can clearly see the wetness still clinging onto his long lashes, so he wipes the remnants of his tears with a careful swipe of his fingers.

"We did it" says Kihyun with a dazed expression as if he was still having a hard time believing that it's true.

"Hell yeah we did and definitely will again" says Minhyuk before breaking into the widest grin Jooheon has ever seen him make.

When he catches his eyes, the elder sends him a wink, practically glowing in the dim, whimsical light of the occasional street lamps blinking through the car window.

When the van dives into the street adjacent to the building of their dorms, Hyunwoo speaks up for the first time since they left the stage.

"I'm really proud of all of you. We gotta celebrate. Let's go out tonight."

"As much I would love this, our manager is going to wring our necks if we go out with the promotions still pending" points out Kihyun and, seeing the disappointment forming on Hyunwoo's face, he pats his shoulder apologetically.

"How about we just get some good alcohol and get piss drunk in the dorms like back in the old days?" proposes Hoseok, who has previously been half-asleep but the mention of a potential celebration roused him right away.

"That actually sounds like good idea since we don't have anything scheduled for tomorrow morning. I might even still have a bottle of that fancy french wine stashed in a cupboard" adds Hyungwon.

"Now we're talking! We just have to make a quick run to the liquor store and we're all set" states Minhyuk, clapping like an excited seal.

Unsurprisingly, Minhyuk and Kihyun soon start to argue over their preferred choices, Kihyun ridiculing the other's penchant for overly sweet fruity cocktails and Minhyuk immediately retaliating by calling him a snobbish wine mom.

Jooheon just closes his eyes for a moment and lets all the noise slowly fade out into the background. He takes a deep breath and exhales all the pressure and tension that has accumulated in his body. Finally, despite being swamped with work and saddled with constant fatigue, for the first time in days he can truly say he finds himself at ease.

"And that's how I ended up on a deserted gas station somewhere near Busan with no phone, wallet or even an umbrella. I was hiding in a telephone booth in the middle of that downpour for good 30 minutes before they realised they left me there and went back."

"No offence, but your highschool friends seem like real jerks" remarks Kihyun with a scowl to which Hoseok only shrugs with his wide shoulders.

"I'd probably argue with you if it weren't true" he admits with a dopey smile.

Jooheon comes back from the kitchen with a fresh bottle of soju just in time for a retelling of another one of Hoseok's teenage adventures. He plops down on the carpet and starts to fiddle with the cap as the elder begins his epic story of how he jumped off a roof just to prove his friend that he was not a coward. In the end it resulted in one broken bone, several bruises and a permanent fear of heights.

Aside from Kihyun and Hoseok seated on the sofa, Hyunwoo is sprawled in their armchair in tucked the corner of the room. Despite trying his best to keep up with the conversation, he's also visibly fighting to keep his eyes open, somewhat resembling an overgrown, unbalanced bobblehead. As adorable as it is, Jooheon thinks it's a good idea to swap his beer with water. 

He himself is also pleasantly buzzed, a bit past tipsy but sober enough to realise that there's only four of them in here and he's certain it wasn't the case just a moment ago. Not that he's been counting heads or anything but last time he checked there were seven guys in Monsta X and all of them were sitting around their living room in various degrees of intoxication.

"Where's Hyungwon?" he mutters to no one in particular, but Kihyun gives him the answer anyway.

"That dumbass had too much to drink despite being a lightweight so he went to the balcony to get some fresh air."

"How about Kyun and Min?"

To that Kihyun's only response was a shrug before he proceeds to reach for the bowl with some leftover chips.

"I don't know, I'm not their mother. Besides, there aren't a lot of options here. They probably went to sleep earlier."

The vision of Minhyuk and Changkyun snuggling with their legs tangled together in a blanket cocoon, with their skin warm to touch and their faces tinted pink, is so inviting that Jooheon makes an immediate decision to join them. 

Consequently, he quickly finishes his bottle of soju in a few large gulps and bids everyone good night before walking out and padding towards the bedroom.

He slowly twists the doorknob and opens the door as quietly as possible, not wanting to rouse Minhyuk who is known for being a light sleeper.

A few moments later, when Jooheon's eyes adjust to the darkness, he finds the bed empty save for a rumpled blanket thrown over over the even more creased sheets. 

Slightly disappointed, he's about to leave and look for them somewhere else when he notices brightness slipping through the cracks of the bathroom door. On autopilot he moves to turn the light off, thinking that one of them must have simply forgotten about it.

His hand, however, remains frozen on the handle as he catches the sight of what's inside through the half-open door.

Just a few meters away Changkyun is standing with his back facing the mirror, not looking one bit bothered by the fact that the ridge of the basin is digging into the small of his back. 

His weight is supported solely by one of his hands holding onto the ledge, fingers clutched so tightly that the knuckles have turned white from the strain.

His other hand is carelessly thrown over Minhyuk's shoulder, who has an iron grip on both sides of the younger's middle.

Usually a similar situation could be explained in dozens of ways simply knowing how touchy they sometimes get, especially with alcohol involved. In fact, this wouldn't even come off as something unusual if it weren't for the hunger in Minhyuk's eyes as they zero in on Changkyun's thin, but shapely lips before he surges forward to connect them with his.

Something tentative but in equal parts intense flickers through Changkyun's face. After a quick moment of hesitation, he tilts his head to the side and parts his mouth, offering them to the taller male and leaving himself at the mercy of his touches.

Minhyuk wastes no time deepening the kiss and he lets his large hands wander up and down Changkyun's slim sides.

A few moments later a low hum vibrates in the younger's throat only to be immediately swallowed by Minhyuk, whose nimble fingers start playing with the hem of Changkyun's ratty band T-shirt before slipping right under.

The warm hands travel higher and higher, perusing every inch of Changkyun's flat stomach. 

The momentary silence is broken as soon as Minhyuk runs his blunt nails across the tender skin stretched over the ribcage, eliciting another quiet, breathy sound from the younger.

Encouraged by the positive reaction, Minhyuk breaks the kiss and draws even closer until he can burrow his nose against the younger's neck.

He takes his sweet time climbing all the way up the pale column, his lips leaving a trail of wet kisses in their wake. When he finally reaches Changkyun's ear, whispers something ambiguous before working his teeth over his pierced earlobe.

He must have done something right as Changkyun barely stifles a whine and a sudden shiver ripples through his whole being.

That has Minhyuk grinning against the his skin, pleased with the effect he has on the younger. However, judging from the playful flicker in Changkyun's eyes he does not plan to give himself up so easily. While Minhyuk is distracted, Changkyun slots his thigh between his spindly legs and is immediately rewarded with an unbridled moan.

At that exact moment the realisation of what exactly he's witnessing hits Jooheon at full force and a loud gasp escapes his lips before he manages to muffle it with his hand. 

Before to manages to bolt and preferably hide away for the rest of eternity, his wrist gets trapped in a firm grasp and Jooheon no choice but to turn around and face the situation head-on.

As hr slowly turns around, he sees two pairs of sharp eyes trained right at him, making him feel like a swarm of ants is sprawling underneath his skin. 

Changkyun is frozen like a deer caught in the headlights as he stares at Jooheon, but at least he has the decency to blush, while Minhyuk is just shamelessly boring him with his glassy eyes and a blank expression. 

All of it is so tense that Jooheon almost forgets to breathe, thoughts fervently running through his head as he racks his brain to figure out what to say.

There's thousands of different questions, apologies and confessions already at the tip of his tongue, but in the end it's Minhyuk who breaks the silence.

"Stay. Please, we want you to." 

He sends Changkyun a quick glance, waiting for the other to confirm his words.

As stupid as it may sound, Jooheon half-expects Changkyun to do something like clicking his tongue and scolding Minhyuk for putting words in his mouth or punching the elder's arm in embarrassment. 

Something that would be somewhat familiar and easy to deal with.

But instead Changkyun and Minhyuk share another telling look, which is starting to make Jooheon feel like he's not let in on some inside joke, leaving him unsure if he should play dumb or laugh along.

"Minhyuk's right. Don't go."

That just leaves Jooheon with even more questions, mostly "why?" "what for?" and "how much did I drink to have dreams like this?"

but before he vocalises any of them Changkyun is already right in front of him, a tentative hand resting on Jooheon's shoulder.

"Can-can I kiss you?"

Oh well. At least question number two no longer needs to be answered.

It would be a lie that Jooheon has never thought about about his friends in a more than platonic way. There's no point denying that sharing bed with two gorgeous men that cuddle you to sleep on a daily basis can sometimes cause his mind to wander. But to think that something like that were to happen in real life was about as probable as him getting a six-pack or suddenly learning how to fly. Just naive wishful thinking.

Still there's no way to deny the weight of a very tangible hand on his shoulder and the fact that if it were a dream he would have already woken up, leaving him with something to be embarrassed about for the rest of the day.

"B-but why?" is all he manages to sputter.

Back to question number 1- good going, Jooheon.

"Do I really need a reason?" huffs out Changkyun, his dark eyes still hopeful as he's waiting for Jooheon's reply.

"Yes? I mean no? I mean… ugh I can't think right now-"

"Then don't."

Jooheon, who has probably gone cherry tomato red at this point, looks up from underneath his lashes and sees the way Changkyun's face glows in the dim lighting.

"It's okay if you don't want to. I know it's kind of sudden and you're probably weirded out now…"

And then Changkyun's words are cut short as Jooheon does something he's never thought he'd do- leans in and presses his plump lips to Changkyun's. 

Like with most bold decisions in life, alcohol is largely to blame. Along with certain other factors that are way too vague for Jooheon to acknowledge yet.

Now it's the younger's turn to be surprised, but he quickly regains his composure and starts kissing Jooheon back. His lips are still moist from his earlier make-out session with Minhyuk and he faintly tastes of the elder's blueberry lip balm. Funnily enough, instead of being off-putting it makes Jooheon even more weak in the knees.

The kiss continues for a while, growing more and more heated with every second. Changkyun buries his hands in Jooheon's freshly dyed curls and uses his surprised gasp as an opportunity to lick deeper into his mouth.

Changkyun might not have a build of an athlete, but there's one infamous muscle in his body that he's never been shy to flaunt. And while him tying cherry stems into knots with his tongue is a fun party trick, it's clearly not the only way it can be put to use. 

Therefore it's no surprise that Jooheon all but melts at the sudden intrusion, parting his lips to give the younger further access to show off his skills. 

At this point Jooheon's spit-slick lips have turned an angry red from the bruising force of the kiss. But in the end it's the way Changkyun languidly drags his tongue across his teeth that makes Jooheon's head spin.

He's so caught up it the sensation that he barely hears Minhyuk whisper a "be right back" into his ear before he slips out of the bathroom. A moment later he vaguely registers the click of the lock being shut coming from the main part of the room.

"This okay?" murmurs Changkyun when he finally unlatches himself from Jooheon's lips and starts playing with the hem of his T-shirt, asking for entry.

Jooheon has barely nodded when he sees onyx black nails worm their way under the thin fabric and travel up, up, up.

He doesn't even have time to feel self-conscious about the softness of his own belly before Changkyun's fingers find their way to his nipples and latch onto them, making Jooheon yelp in surprise.

"Sensitive?" Changkyun asks, looking all smug. Suddenly Jooheon wants nothing else but to wipe that grin off his face - and he does, by smashing their lips together once again.

At some point an arm slinks around his waist and he's pretty sure it does not belong to Changkyun since the younger's hands are still roaming around his chest.

"You've been hogging Joo for ages now. I want a kiss too" whines Minhyuk, and when Jooheon finally turns his head to look at the elder his lips are twisted in a pout too innocent for the current situation.

"Sometimes I forget just how needy you are" snorts Changkyun, but he steps back and lets Minhyuk get closer.

"What do you say, Honey? Can I get a bit greedy?"

Jooheon is way past the point of having second thoughts (even though he knows none of that can end well), so he just closes the gap between them, still clinging onto Changkyun's arm as he tries to move out of the way.

Thankfully, the younger is not planning on leaving, instead he approaches Jooheon from behind until he's so close that Jooheon can feel his warm breath on his nape.

Being the silent perfectionist that he is, Changkyun is a strong proponent of the rule 'always finish what you started'. It's mostly apparent when he holes himself up in his studio to polish a song he's been working on for hours or when he practises new choreography until he can't feel his legs.

(Now that Jooheon thinks about it, it's actually kind of funny that he shares a room with Minhyuk, the most notorious procrastinator he's ever known with an attention span of a toddler.)

The current situation turns out to be no exception, since Changkyun's bony hands immediately dive under his shirt and snake around his torso so that he can pick up right where he left off.

With everything happening so fast around him, Jooheon can barely catch his breath in between Minhyuk's busy mouth (tasting sweet like the cocktails he likes to drink and even more like blueberries) and the hurried touches burning invisible brands onto his skin.

Objectively speaking, being sandwiched between two sweaty, tipsy men in a stuffy bathroom with both of them practically glued to your body should be uncomfortable. But somehow it isn't like that at all. 

Confusing? Definitely. 

Overwhelming? A little bit.

Exciting? Maybe.

Also somehow soothing?

And okay, maybe that word isn't the first thing that comes to mind in such a context, but here's the thing- they work together, live together and eat together. They've seen each other cry, laugh, sulk and even vomit (even though it isn't something any of them want to remember). They've patted each other's back after a rough night out or a visit to the doctor. They've stuck together in their lowest and highest moments and pretty much survived the living hell (read: No Mercy) while still holding each other's backs.

After all that it's not surprising that Jooheon is pretty much conditioned to automatically feel safe around them at this point.

But most of all, with both Minhyuk and Changkyun directing their undivided attention towards him and only him Jooheon feels… wanted.

After that everything gets a bit blurry around the edges- somehow Jooheon ends up sprawled on top of the soft sheets of their makeshift bed, clothes being quickly discarded and thrown on the floor.

With two pairs of hungry eyes trained on him like he were a piece of meat he is really starting to get why Minhyuk and Changkyun are often compared to canines by their fans.

Kisses are exchanged- slow kisses, sloppy kisses, passionate kisses- and bodies are explored- featherlight touches, firm grasps, blunt nails raking the skin. 

It might have continued for minutes or for hours, the concept of time long forgotten in the heat of the moment.

The only two things Jooheon remembers perfectly clear are a strong, intoxicating flower fragrance (probably Minhyuk's new cologne) and the low sound of Changkyun's moan when he finally reached his peak as he unraveled under Minhyuk's large, skilled hands.

(He's almost sure these memories will repeatedly come back to haunt him during sleepless nights.)

When it's over, his tiredness hits him with full force. Soon he stops struggling to keep his eyes open and curls up on the bed, breathing slowly in a blissful haze. Just before he dozes off, he's captured in a tight embrace from behind. At the same time he can feel his sweaty fringe being parted before a small peck is placed in the middle of his forehead. 

That's all it takes for Jooheon drift off completely and have the best sleep he's had for years.

They don't talk about it. 

No "What do we do now?" or "I have no idea why that happened but I'd definitely do that again", or even "That was a mistake".

He wakes up to Minhyuk playfully poking his cheek and asking if he should make coffee for both of them. When Jooheon answers with a small grunt that he hopes sounds affirmative, the elder immediately tumbles out of bed, clad only in boxers.

Jooheon is just glad he had the decency to make a small detour towards the wardrobe to put on a shirt over his bare chest.

Changkyun is still peacefully snoring beside him, his fluffy bangs sticking in all sorts of directions like feathers.

Honestly, Jooheon would think it was all just a very vivid wet dream if it weren't for the way Minhyuk's heavy gaze lingered on him when he was getting out of bed and how Changkyun's eyes would persistently avoid his during breakfast. 

Despite his usual morning grumpiness Kihyun benevolently makes blueberry pancakes for his hungover friends. A single bite of the buttery treat is enough to bring Jooheon's mind back to that goddamn blueberry lip balm. Therefore, the pancakes do their job to fill Jooheon's empty stomach, but ironically they also stir a different kind of hunger in his gut.

He runs a hand through his hair and lets out a frustrated groan, earning him a confused look from Hyunwoo. That's going to be a long day.

Soon everything falls back into the old routine as if nothing ever happened, but the lack of some kind of closure is starting to get on Jooheon's nerves. Don't get him wrong- it's not that he won't bring it up because of his pride or anything like that. It's just that whenever he finally manages to pluck up his courage, everything he's been bottling up already at the tip of his tongue, a single look in Minhyuk's or Changkyun's direction makes it all crawl back up his throat.

There's just too much at stake to casually throw it into a conversation right after discussing what they're getting for dinner.

Besides, the fact that neither Minhyuk nor Changkyun (who are both known for their unceremonious bluntness) brought up anything that happened that night probably meant one of two things. 

One is that they were drunk enough not to remember any of it and another that they actually want to forget about it. In either case talking it out would only make things even more complicated. 

So maybe it was for the best to let the sleeping dogs lie.

Naturally, Jooheon assumes that he needs to come to terms with the fact that it was probably just a one-time thing and nothing like that will ever happen again. At first he contemplates moving back to his old room, but that would probably look suspicious and he didn't want to be grilled by any of his hyungs, so in the end he decided against it. 

After that his life just goes on the way it had before- practice, sleep, eating, more practice, sometimes affording the luxury of playing video games with Hoseok or visiting his parents. 

When their schedule finally clears up and all of them finally feel like they can breathe again, Hyunwoo suggests they take a weekend car trip along the coast celebrate their reclaimed freedom. 

Surprisingly, he even manages to sell Hyungwon on this idea without much whining from the lanky male. Therefore the very next day they're bustling around the house while packing all the necessary stuff and making plans about where should they head first.

Despite being the most excited about the whole idea, luck just isn't on Jooheon's side as he wakes up the next day with a pounding headache and a fever.

"We can't just leave Jooheon behind while he's in this state" is the first thing Minhyuk says right after taking a look at the thermometer taken from Jooheon's hand.

"I agree. It's probably the best to stay right now and go some other time" concedes Hyunwoo, but he's unable to hide the tinge of disappointment in his words.

"No way. I'm not going to ruin our plans over something like this. I'll stay here and you go. It's just a cold- I'll be fine on my own" argues Jooheon, rubbing his throbbing temples with a sigh.

Hyunwoo seems ready to argue, but Minhyuk cuts in before he even opens his mouth.

"I'll stay with Jooheon. I actually promised my dad I'll video call him tomorrow and there might be no reception on the road. Besides, we've already got the campsite booked so that would just be a waste of money."

"Are you sure you're okay with that?" asks Hoseok, looking between Jooheon and Minhyuk.

"We can always make another trip together when we get some free time again, so no worries. Just bring me some nice seashells or something and I'll be good."

The others exchange uncertain glances, but in the end no one denies. Normally Jooheon would try to convince Minhyuk against staying, but truth be told he felt a bit relieved he wasn't going to be holed up all alone in their dorms for two days.

And as Minhyuk knows that Jooheon would never openly ask any of them to stay, he probably made a simple excuse to keep him company, which Jooheon was really thankful for.

An hour later the five boys have already left the house. Jooheon slowly hoists himself, planning to get something for breakfast, but Minhyuk stops him and ushers him back to bed.

"Stay here, I'll get you something to eat and find some aspirin as well. Don't worry, under my care you'll be better in no time!"

"Thank you, nurse" answers Jooheon and rolls his eyes, but he can't help the small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

True to Minhyuk's word, Jooheon's fever goes down soon and by the evening he's already up and about (at least as much as someone who's still in their pajamas can be).

Around 8 Minhyuk goes out for some grocery shopping. While Jooheon contemplates between going back to bed to binge-watch some dramas on his tablet and scouring the kitchen in hopes of finding some snacks, a loud crack snaps him out of his musings and a second later he's surrounded with complete blackness.

In the dark Jooheon manages to locate his phone and turns on the flashlight.

The only way to know what caused the power outage was to check the fuse box in the basement, so Jooheon finds his way to the staircase and reluctantly pads down in silence. 

With bated breath he makes his way through the narrow corridor and the very moment he sees the box he feels a heavy hand falling onto his shoulder.

Well, if they had any immediate neighbours they'd definitely be calling the police after the blood-curdling shriek that escapes Jooheon's lips.

On impulse he jerks forward, accidentally knocking his elbow against a nearby shelf so hard that for a second he sees stars behind his eyelids.

He stumbles against his own feet and he would fall with his face hitting the ground if it weren't for a tight grip on his arm hoisting him back to a horizontal position.

"Whoa-watch out! It's just me."

"Jooheon takes a shaky breath and looks at the other person.

"M-minhyuk? How are you here?" he asks with his heart still hammering against the ribcage.

The said man picks up the flashlight that Jooheon dropped and puts it back into his hand.

"As soon as I came back the lights went off so I rushed downstairs to check the fuse box. Everything's the way it's supposed to be so it must be some power outage. I was about to go back but I then saw you down here as well."

"Why didn't you say anything? asks Jooheon, his shock slowly morphing into frustration.

"Well I kind thought I'd scare you a little but I didn't know you would react so strongly" he explains, rubbing the back of his neck in unease.

"You know I hate shit like that! I almost had a heart attack!"

Right then the lights flick back on like nothing has happened.

"Look, the power is back."

"Don't change the subject."

"Okay, that might not have been a bright idea but you're just so easy to frighten."

"And that's your reason to to it? Ugh, forget it. I'm going back to bed."

Not waiting for Minhyuk's response he turns around and hurries back upstairs. Now with the lights back on he feels so stupid for making such a fuss over a silly prank. But the fact that despite all that knowledge he's still trembling like a leaf is shameful enough to make his eyes prick with tears. 

As soon as he's in their room Jooheon buries himself under the covers and starts rubbing his sore elbow. He's 100% sure he'll wake up with a large purple bruise tomorrow.

A few minutes later he can hear the shuffle of the sheets behind his curled back and soon the mattress dips under the additional weight.

"Honey, I'm really sorry. That was really out of line. I shouldn't have scared you like that" a soft voice whispers right into his ear.

"I'm a big boy, I'll be fine" stubbornly insists Jooheon, still lying on his side with his back facing his friend. 

For a second everything is still before Minhyuk tentatively puts a hand on his hip and motionlessly keeps it there as if he were trying to gentle a stray cat.

When no objections come on Jooheon's part, Minhyuk starts rubbing small, comforting circles over the soft fabric of his sleep shirt.

Imperceptibly he seems to be getting closer and closer until Jooheon can feel his warm breath at the nape of his neck.

"You're still shaking" he notices, running his hand up and down Jooheon's arm. Though the latter is pretty sure that the cause of that is slightly different than it originally was.

"Your hand is cold" he lies, clutching onto the blanket so hard that his knuckles turn white.

"Are you sure you're alright? Let me check your forehead." 

Minhyuk slides his palm under Jooheon's bangs and hums thoughtfully.

"Doesn't seem too bad, but you need to get some warmth. Come here, we don't want your fever back" states Minhyuk, his arm protectively looping around Jooheon's middle.

They stay like that for what seems like forever. After a while Jooheon feels his muscles loosen and allows himself to melt into the warmth of the embrace, revelling in the closeness the two of them share. 

He would've probably drifted off to sleep if it weren't for the fact that Minhyuk's restless hands were beginning to wander, slipping underneath his shirt and drawing patterns over his skin.

"You comfortable?" he asks and Jooheon hums affirmatively.

Long fingers venture higher and higher, tracing over the bumps of his spine and travelling along his ribs. 

When they accidentally brush over one of his nipples, Jooheon's breath hitches, the unexpected sensation making him fully awake.

This reaction seems to spark Minhyuk's curiosity as the elder runs his hands over the soft nubs once again. This time Jooheon is unable to contain a breathy gasp escaping his lips.

"Wha-what are you doing?"

"Touching you. Is this okay?" asks Minhyuk and for some mysterious reason Jooheon only finds himself nodding before pressing his soft cheek further into the pillow.

You really are sensitive, aren't you?"

Jooheon huffs and tries to think of a smart way to bite back but the way Minhyuk tightens his hold effectively makes him shut up.

"Have I told you how much I love your belly? It's so soft and cute. Promise me you'll never get abs" he purrs right into Jooheon's ear.

"What are you up to right now? Don't butter me up, I'm not a toast" snorts Jooheon, slowly losing himself in the weirdness of the situation.

"But I'm sure you'd be just as tasty."

Now is the time for Jooheon to almost choke on his spit.

"What the hell, Minhyuk."

"I'm just teasing you! Your reactions are just way too precious" the elder says with a smile so wide it can be heard.

"I'm only half joking though" he adds much more quietly, burying his nose over Jooheon's messy hair.

Soon his hands venture lower, fingers splayed across the slightly more defined muscles of Jooheon's abdomen.

Minhyuk seems to hesitate for a moment before casually tracing the outline of his thighs and Jooheon can feel all of his muscles go taut in anticipation. 

"You still have goosebumps. Why are you so tense? It's just me."

'Precisely because it's you' Jooheon thinks, trying to swallow the invisible lump in his throat. 

The elder rubs his hand up and down his side in what seems to be a half-assed attempt at warming him up before ironically freezing on the spot with his head hooked over Jooheon's shoulder.

Jooheon follows Minhyuk's gaze down his own body and as soon as he gets what exactly Minhyuk is staring at. It's enough to say that if this room were located at least two floors higher he would consider throwing himself out of the window.

"Oh my god" he mumbles, hiding his reddening face in his hands. He tries to tumble out of bed, make a run for the bathroom and preferably barricade himself inside for a few hours, but Minhyuk holds him in place with his long arms.

"It's okay. Actually... I could help you out with that."

Jooheon twists his neck so fast he almost gets a whiplash, staring at the other man with wide eyes.

"Don't look at me like that. Just think of it as returning the favour."

'He remembers.' That thought sounds in Jooheon's mind like a sudden peal of a bell echoing in an empty chapel.

"I know that face- you're overthinking things. Stop that or you'll get another headache."

Jooheon should probably tell Minhyuk that it's too late for that and that his existence is enough to give him a lifelong migraine, but instead he just leans in and shuts him up in a much more effective way.

Not even a minute later Minhyuk flips them over and pins Jooheon to the bed with a playful smirk.

"I'll take that as a yes" he concludes before slipping his hands under Jooheon's shirt and pulling it off over his head.

A small shiver runs over the younger's body as his bare chest comes in contact with the cool air. Every warm touch against his skin is firm, but gentle and soothing. 

Minhyuk handles him like he was made out of the finest porcelain that could shatter under a careless hand.

At that point Jooheon doesn't even bother quelling the needy sounds bubbling at the back of his throat as Minhyuk nosedives to nuzzle his neck and leaves a trail of butterfly kisses down his chest. He leaves one last peck right next to his belly button and looks up at Jooheon from underneath his long lashes.

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of you" he says, his voice an octave lower than usual.

As he tugs at the hem Jooheon's sweatpants he hums in satisfaction as he notices the lack of underwear underneath and consequently is able to fully see the effect he has on the younger.

When Minhyuk finally gets his hands on Jooheon's erection, the younger bites on his lip so hard it almost splits to muffle a moan.

"Don't hold back. I wanna hear you" insists Minhyuk, his piercing gaze fixed on Jooheon's flushed face.

"But it's so embarrassing" whines Jooheon, covering his face with his palms. The timid reaction causes Minhyuk to coo and he presses a quick kiss to Jooheon's temple.

"Don't worry, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. No one else will hear it. Besides it's really hot if you ask me."

Jooheon huffs, but reluctantly puts his hands away and tangles his fingers in Minhyuk's hair.

The elder doesn't waste any more time before lowering himself on the bed until Jooheon can feel the warmth of his breath right above his cock.

"You don't have to do this" he manages to choke out while internally patting himself on the back for showing at least a semblance of self-control.

"I know I don't have to, but I want to. I just wanna make you feel good."

With that assurance Minhyuk finally presses his lips to the very tip, making it his mission to lick off the precum with tiny, tentative licks.

Fun fact: even though Jooheon has quite a lot of practical knowledge on giving head, this happens to be the first time for him to receive a blowjob.

Not-so-fun fact: Minhyuk's undeniably skilled tongue and the bruising force of his large hands holding Jooheon's hips in place the younger comes embarrasingly fast with a loud, breathless gasp.

When Jooheon slowly lifts his head to look at Minhyuk, the elder makes a show of swallowing every drop of his come and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"God."

"Minhyuk's enough, but I'll go with that too" he answers with a playful smirk.

At that moment Jooheon's too blissed out to argue, so he just unfurls his limbs and lies boneless on the mattress, basking in the afterglow.

As the gentleman he is, Minhyuk tucks Jooheon's dick back into his pajama pants and pecks his cheek with a loud smack.

"How can you be so cute? I seriously want to eat you up" he adds, carding his fingers through Jooheon's hair.

'You kinda did though' Jooheon thinks absently as he leans into the touch.

"Wow, I haven't seen you so quiet since you lost your voice for a week because you practised too much. Did I accidentally suck out your soul?"

It's a bit surreal how easily Minhyuk switches back to their usual banter like nothing happened, but Jooheon has to admit that falling back into the familiarity of their light-hearted exchanges dissipates most of the tension and puts the younger at ease.

"Don't flatter yourself, I'm just sleepy.Can't you just follow my example and lay still for a second?"

After these words Jooheon tucks a pillow under his neck closes his eyes with a sigh. Considering everything that happened that day, he really is too tired to even try to properly process it. 

"Hey, Honey?" whispers Minhyuk into his ear as he gently taps the other's chest with his finger.

"Hmmm?" Jooheon answers, cracking one of his eyes open.

"Was that really okay with you? I kind of came onto you without thinking too much but I really hope I didn't make you feel uncomfortable. I know I can be pushy at times and I want to be sure I didn't pressure you."

Hearing the insecurity woven into Minhyuk's words, Jooheon covers the elder's hand with his own and gives it a gentle squeeze.

"You didn't do anything wrong, so don't worry. It's just that I have some stuff to think about."

"Just don't overthink on your own. If you want to tell me anything, just be straightforward and I'll always listen. So, are we good?"

"Of course we are."

Only when Minhyuk releases a relieved sigh does Jooheon realise how nervous the elder really was.

"I'm glad. I wouldn't wanna lose you over something like that" adds Minhyuk quietly.

After that both of them fall quiet and Minhyuk wraps his long arms around Jooheon's waist, clinging to him like a sleepy koala. Jooheon decides to leave all of his questions for tomorrow and he slowly drifts off, lulled by the sound of Minhyuk's steady breathing, snugly surrounded by warmth.

He wakes up the next morning (or rather afternoon) to the sound of his phone ringing on the nightstand.

"Hello?" he asks, trying to get rid of the residual sleepiness apparent in his hoarse voice.

"Hello hyung, Changkyun speaking. How are you feeling? "

"Good to hear from you. I'm much better than yesterday."

"Good, you had us all really worried for a while. Anyways, Kihyun wanted me to tell you that we're already getting in the car so we should be back in two hours."

"Did you have fun?"

"Yeah, it was great, but I lost at rock-paper-scissors and had to share a tent with Hoseok hyung. Don't get me wrong, I love spending time with him, but I forgot my earplugs and you know what it means- I didn't get much sleep tonight."

Jooheon clicks his tongue in sympathy, the memory of him rooming with Hoseok on tour still fresh in his mind. Somewhere around three in the morning he remembers being desperate enough to start fantasising about smothering his friend with a pillow. 

"That's why I'm planning to hit the sack and sleep it all off as soon as we're back."

"I've made cheese and ham toasts for breakfast if you want some… oh, sorry, you're on the phone" cuts in Minhyuk, his head popping out from behind the door.

"It's just Kyun calling to tell us they're already on their way back."

"In that case they'll be here just before dinner, which means that our chances of getting Kihyun to make a proper meal instead of eating reheated takeout are increasing" he comments, victoriously pumping his fist in the air.

His resonant voice was loud enough even for Changkyun to hear, so when Jooheon puts him on speaker he can hear his laugh resonating in the room.

"I'll be sure to pass it to Kihyun that you cannot survive more than 2 days without him. I'm sure he'll be secretly overjoyed."

"As if he needs an another ego boost. He already thinks that he's going to find his precious kitchen moldy or burned to the ground because nobody else in this house is a fully functioning adult."

"Can you blame him though? remember when you thought boiling an egg in a microwave is a good idea?"

"We all agreed we wouldn't bring it up again. I was young and stupid back then."

"It was 2 months ago."

As Jooheon listens to Changkyun and Minhyuk banter like an old married couple, a weird feeling starts to bubble up in his stomach. He is slowly noticing just how close the two became in the last few months and it makes him wonder how exactly does he fit into this equation.

"Earth to Honey! The toasts are probably getting cold and I don't want all of my hard work to go to waste."

After finishing the call, Minhyuk gives the phone back to Jooheon and drags the younger man downstairs.

In a span of a few minutes Jooheon cleans the contents of his plate and offers to make coffee for both of them. Minhyuk immediately agrees and starts recounting the dream he had last night, filling the quiet room with his melodic voice. The afternoon sun is filtering through large kitchen windows and it shines on Jooheon's face as he waits for the coffee to be ready.

His thoughts start to drift as he listens to Minhyuk's story. Strangely enough it's something about flowers again. 

He is enjoying the smell of fresh coffee and the warm caress of the sunshine on his cheek, struck by a sudden want to seal all of the little things that moment consists of inside a bottle and keep them with himself forever. 

The boys come back earlier than expected- Jooheon barely manages to seat himself on a sofa with a book when he hears the shrill sound of their doorbell.

Minhyuk quickly makes their way to the door and unlocks it while Jooheon marks his book and drags himself off the sofa to welcome his friends.

"How was your trip? Did you bring me anything?" is the first thing Minhyuk asks when the other five are already inside the apartment. 

"There were no seashells so I just got you a rock instead" answers Hyungwon after he putting down his backpack.

"A rock? Is it pretty at least?"

"It's cucumber-shaped so it immediately made me think of you" answers Hyungwon, grinning at Minhyuk's disgusted grimace.

"How romantic" adds Changkyun with a snort as he takes his shoes off and puts them on the rack.

"I want a refund."

"For a rock?"

"No, for such friends. I want new ones."

'Hey, that's my line' thinks Jooheon distractedly.

"Well, go talk to the manager then. But I don't recommend that, Hongsik is the one who said he sometimes wants to put you in a box and send you off to Antarctica."

"Keep the volume down, the only damaged good in this room right now is my hearing" huffs Kihyun as he hauls his suitcase through the corridor.

"Enough with the puns. I've heard enough of those sitting next to Hoseok in the car" concludes Hyunwoo with a tired sigh.

"Your wish is my command. By the way, Kihyun, all that fresh air and seaside breeze must have really done you good. You're looking way more handsome than usual. Also, did you lose weight? Your cheekbones are so sharp they could cut through…"

"Yes, Minhyuk, I will make dinner after I unpack. You don't have to try so hard" cuts in Kihyun before disappearing behind his bedroom door.

"You're the best! Thank you and love you!" shouts Minhyuk to make sure the other hears him well. 

"Well that went better than expected. I should pass the good news to Jooheon" he adds before making his leave.

When Minhyuk enters their shared bedroom, Changkyun has already unpacked all his stuff and is chatting about the trip with Jooheon.

"Mission accomplished, dinner secured" he informs the two before plopping down next to Changkyun and throwing an arm around his shoulder. 

"You managed to annoy Kihyun into cooking for you again? You really are something else" comments Changkyun with a snort. He easily relaxes into Minhyuk's touch like the elder's bony body was a memory pillow accomodating to his shape.

"By the way how are you feeling, Jooheon? Are you really okay now?"

"Yeah, I don't even know where that fever came from honestly. But we really had one hell of a weekend."

"Yeah, we had a sudden power cut and I almost scared Jooheon to death but I've made sure to make it up to him later so I guess we're good" throws in Minhyuk, batting his lashes in faux innocence.

Changkyun squints suspiciously as his eyes wander between Minhyuk and Jooheon, whose face must have turned beet red at that point.

"Did you try anything, Min?"

"Me? What are you implying here? I'm a good, law-abiding , tax-paying citizen…"

"Are you two together?" blurts out Jooheon before he can stop himself.

Minhyuk and Changkyun look stunned for a good few seconds before exchanging quick glances.

"Are you asking if we're dating?" 

"Well, yes, because I don't want to be coming between you two but at the same time I feel like you keep expecting something from me and I'm just honestly confused" he confesses, not having the courage to look neither of them in the eyes.

"Gah, we really did it all backwards again" sighs Minhyuk and puts his hand on Jooheon's shoulder.

"Honey, we're idols. Dating just wouldn't work for us. We're just really good friends who… help each other out sometimes" says Changkyun slowly, weighing each word on his tongue.

"We should have explained it all to you sooner. If we ever made you feel uncomfortable than we're really sorry."

"No, that's totally okay with me, it's just that now I feel stupid for intruding on you all the time while the two of you obviously wanted to be alone…" starts explaining Jooheon, but Minhyuk immediately cuts him off.

"Jooheon, not for a single moment did either of us think of you as redundant. We invited you to room with us because we wanted to."

"Exactly. The truth is that we wanted to open up about all this to you for ages but we just didn't know where to start" adds Changkyun, grabbing one of Jooheon's hands and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Well yeah, I could never think of a more graceful way of putting it than 'we fuck around sometimes, wanna join?' so we didn't say anything instead" says Minhyuk with a dry laugh.

"Wait a moment- you two wanted… me? Like, with you?..."

"Yes, you doofus, we were actually glad that you came in on us that one night because that forced us to finally do something about it but the thing is that it all sort of happened and instead of talking it all out like we should have in the first place we sort of ended up chickening out again."

After saying that Changkyun wordlessly looks at Minhyuk, not really knowing how he should continue. The three of them stand in silence before Jooheon finds it in himself to speak again.

"So where does that put us?"

"That depends on you, Jooheon. Just remember that you don't have to agree to anything. Seriously, no pressure."

"If you just wanna stay normal friends that's okay too. We can just forget about all that" adds Minhyuk, seeing Jooheon's conflicted expression.

But Jooheon is done playing cat and mouse with these two.

"Don't even say that, idiot. You don't even know how many nights I've spent thinking about all that" he complains, releasing a heavy sigh.

"Do you really think that after all this I'm still going to say no? Besides, I want everything that comes with you two" he adds, more quietly this time, and it's enough of a cue for Minhyuk and Changkyun to come up to him and squeeze him in a bone-crushing hug.

"We're so sorry for making you worry like that, honeybee. From now on no more secrets between us" pledges Minhyuk as he burrows his face in the crook of Jooheon's neck.

"If that's the case, then tell me what exactly you've been doing while I was away."

"Hey! Law does not work backward!" objects Minhyuk, swatting at Changkyun's shoulder.

"I just want to know what I've missed" says the younger with a shrug.

Their conversation was interrupted with a loud rapping at the door.

"The dinner's ready! Get your lazy asses downstairs and show some gratitude" Kihyun's loud voice can be heard through the door. 

"Ouch, grumpy much?" says Minhyuk to which Changkyun only laughs, shaking his head.

"The legend has it that Kihyun couldn't sleep because he felt guilty about leaving the two of you behind but you didn't hear that from me" explains Changkyun, making sure to keep his voice down.

"He would really make it much easier for both us and himself if he just dropped the whole tsundere act. It really gets old after a while" adds Minhyuk, rolling his eyes.

"We better go now or else he'll make us do the dishes."

"Okay, but don't think our conversation from earlier is over" warns Changkyun.

"Yeah, yeah, let's go now. I'm really hungry. Besides I'm pretty sure we'll have plenty of opportunities to catch up from now on" says Minhyuk, waggling his eyebrows in a obnoxious way and Jooheon thinks he really is past the point of no return as he somehow finds it kind of charming.

Jooheon takes one last fond glance at the flowerpot they bought together, the three plants growing so close to each other they are almost entwined. 

Maybe something is really going to bloom out of all that.

Hopefully something beautiful.

  
  
  



End file.
